The Irish women's hockey team's hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics suffered a severe blow after an agonising sudden-death penalty shootout defeat to China in their World Hockey League 3 quarter-final.

Darren Smith has announced he will step down as Irish senior women's coach at the end of World League Round 3 in Valencia in June, the key qualifier for the Olympic Games, to return to his native New Zealand to be with his family.